5th Wheel Towing and Drivers License Poll

[Bones]

I dropped the Hazmat endorsement as I drain and flush the black tank before we move

I still have my HazMat on mine. I'm considering dropping it because it is a royal pain now to keep it. All the extra money just to pay to get investigated now.

 

[robertkellar79]

I keep mine for employment requirement only I agree it is a pain to keep it


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[kenwessels1451]

I stopped by the Cdl test site this morning to see if they were on the same page as the CHP. He agreed that your copilot with an out of state license that had no RV restrictions would be fine. In the next breath he said that they're not the police and you could arrive by yourself and they wouldn't care. This was at the El Cajon site in Rancho San Diego. No more sweating bullets wondering.

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[Aandaar]

I stopped by the Cdl test site this morning to see if they were on the same page as the CHP. He agreed that your copilot with an out of state license that had no RV restrictions would be fine. In the next breath he said that they're not the police and you could arrive by yourself and they wouldn't care. This was at the El Cajon site in Rancho San Diego. No more sweating bullets wondering.

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So I had a CDL for a few years then dropped it. I remember the driving/Skills test and it was a nightmare. Do you know if the El Cajon site does the RV test or will they make you do the CDL type test?

 

[kenwessels1451]

I've got an appointment for the pre-trip and skills test next month. I looked over the cone course while I was there today and it looks like plenty of room to mannouver the truck and a 38' 5er. I remember my driving test with a 20' wheelbase tractor and 42' trailer around downtown Chula Vista years ago. I'm a sure next month should be OK. You should be fine with the experience you have.

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[kenwessels1451]

In fact there were a couple of fellows for their Cdl test. Their going to go through the pre-trip and skills test though the cone course as I am getting my class a. Probably the same road test around the city. Only difference is their driving a tractor and trailer vs a pickup and 5er.

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[bobca1]

I stopped by the Cdl test site this morning to see if they were on the same page as the CHP. He agreed that your copilot with an out of state license that had no RV restrictions would be fine. In the next breath he said that they're not the police and you could arrive by yourself and they wouldn't care. This was at the El Cajon site in Rancho San Diego. No more sweating bullets wondering.

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Seems to vary a lot based on DMV office. I did my test in Fullerton this past summer. They asked to see my class A licensed driver and he was required to provide his license. The pretrip inspection was what I expected I had to indicate the item I was checking and say what I was was checking it for, eg belts are tight, coolant level is at marked level, etc. There were a couple areas where I forgot something the tester said "anything else" but otherwise no hint, that was enough for me to pause and remember. For the skills test I had to back straight and then do blind side offset backup. Did not have to do the 90 degree loading dock maneuver. The driving test was thorough but not unreasonable through residential, city, freeway conditions, in mostly heavy traffic.

Maybe in minority here, but I am ok CA requires this extra level of testing. When operating a rig that is upwards of 25k+ lbs combined weight it's good to know the driver is qualified. It's a pain, but it feels good once you get it!

Happy to help out anyone that needs a licensed driver in North LA or Ventura County area.

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[frumbawa]

I stopped by the Cdl test site this morning to see if they were on the same page as the CHP. He agreed that your copilot with an out of state license that had no RV restrictions would be fine. In the next breath he said that they're not the police and you could arrive by yourself and they wouldn't care. This was at the El Cajon site in Rancho San Diego. No more sweating bullets wondering.

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I would not take this for granted. I took the test in Rancho San Diego a while back and was asked who my escort was and if they were properly licensed. The examiner did not check though. As for the actual test, it is a scaled down version of the commercial test. For the skills test, you have to do a straight back up as well as a 90 degree alley back but no parallel park. Everything else is pretty straight forward. The road test was also easy. Just over exaggerate everything you do. Come to a complete stop at the 4-way and sit there an extra few seconds and make sure you're moving your head looking all around as your traveling. If you do anything illegal the test is automatically over. I failed the road test the first time because the examiner said I did not come to a complete stop at a 4-way. Because these guys test mostly commercial, there is no wiggle room on the test. My biggest fear was not knowing what to expect but in hind site, it was actually pretty easy.

Good luck. I am in the San Diego area and with enough notice, would be willing to help anyone who needs it, get to the test station.

Frank

 

[Aandaar]

I would not take this for granted. I took the test in Rancho San Diego a while back and was asked who my escort was and if they were properly licensed. The examiner did not check though. As for the actual test, it is a scaled down version of the commercial test. For the skills test, you have to do a straight back up as well as a 90 degree alley back but no parallel park. Everything else is pretty straight forward. The road test was also easy. Just over exaggerate everything you do. Come to a complete stop at the 4-way and sit there an extra few seconds and make sure you're moving your head looking all around as your traveling. If you do anything illegal the test is automatically over. I failed the road test the first time because the examiner said I did not come to a complete stop at a 4-way. Because these guys test mostly commercial, there is no wiggle room on the test. My biggest fear was not knowing what to expect but in hind site, it was actually pretty easy.

Good luck. I am in the San Diego area and with enough notice, would be willing to help anyone who needs it, get to the test station.

Frank

Frank, could you explain or pictogram what a 90 degree alley back is?

 

[frumbawa]

Alley back or alley dock is basically backing into space from a 90 degree angle, like backing into a camp spot. Here's a youtube video of a semi doing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIY_I_6KTis

In Rancho San Diego, they tell you that you can line up anywhere in the cones, then proceed to back in. You are allowed to pull forward if you need to up to three times if I remember right but you are docked points. You are also docked points if you hit the cones. Rancho San Diego does give you more room though than the guy in the video.

Frank

 

[Aandaar]

So does anyone know of a place large enough in the San Diego area where you can throw down some cones and do a little practice?

 

[Bones]

So does anyone know of a place large enough in the San Diego area where you can throw down some cones and do a little practice?

Try a mall parking lot very early in the am before they open

 

[bobca1]

Try a mall parking lot very early in the am before they open

Or a community college, they are usually empty on weekends. Thats where I practiced, Moorpark college. If you can find a dirt lot even better since the tires scrub a lot on the loading dock maneuver. I left a lot of black marks on the pavement. Another San Diegan posted a while back he went to Fiesta Island, should be space there this time of year.

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[Ladiver]

Well, I had the misfortune of experiencing the two extremes. My first attempt was in San Bernardino and it was the same experience as steve_buckman had. I failed the 90 degree loading dock.

I then retook it in Fullerton and it was the same experience as bobca1.

 

[steve_buckman]

I think San Bernidino is like West Sacramento in that it's a CDL only test facility. I took the Class B non-commercial for a over 40' motor home endorsement 3 years ago at the Fresno DMV, and the test was as described in the Recreational Vehicle DMV handbook - easy to pass. Only reason I went to West Sac this time was because all the regular DMV offices were booked up for 2 months, and we are planning to leave on a long trip 3/11.
Here's something interesting. My new Class A non-commercial does not include the endorsement required to drive a 45 motor home and DMV does not know how to include it on my new license. I called Sacramento twice and also talked to the person updating my license after completing my test. They all said class A was an upgrade and should include class B. However the handbook is pretty clear in that it does not.
When I originally got the Class B with endorsement I spent many hours in the DMV office while they figured out how to issue it and what I ended up with was a Fire fighter's class B license with restrictions and a note to call DMV if specifics were needed.

 

[avvidclif]

Tell them to put Class "A" thru "Z" on it.

 

[Bob&Patty]

It's a sorry state of affairs that not person that works for the DMV or a CHP office has no clue to what the laws are. Maybe Gov. "moonbeam" knows.

 

[frumbawa]

So does anyone know of a place large enough in the San Diego area where you can throw down some cones and do a little practice?

Qualcom Stadium??

 

[ksucats]

I was told that TV and Trailer together has to be over 26K, if your not, your good to go..... Those Fords are Heavy

Here in Kansas the law is CDL if 26001 BUT RVs are exempt. Good thing since between my F450 and LM 365 (17500 GVWR) I'm pretty sure I'd be over 26000 by that one pound .

 

[Bohemian]

Here in Kansas the law is CDL if 26001 BUT RVs are exempt. Good thing since between my F450 and LM 365 (17500 GVWR) I'm pretty sure I'd be over 26000 by that one pound .

Worse yet. It's 26,000 GCWR, where GCWR means GVWR truck + GVWR trailer, not GCWR truck.